Can anyone recommend a good place to take kids fishing around Flagstaff...?

Question

We are taking a driving vacation in a couple of weeks, Phoenix to the Grand Canyon and back. I am wondering if there is a good place to stop around Flagstaff where we can fish without a boat, maybe off a pier, that is stocked. The kids are 9 and 11 and we have never been fishing before; just want to try it out.

Answer 1

Forget FISHING in AZ. man...Come on its way too hot. Fish like it cool.
But I highly reccomend that on your way to the GRAND CANYON, Stop by JEROME, AZ. Now it is nice and cool up there, at like 5,500 feet...While you are there go say hi to DON KING at the Gold King MINE/GHOST TOWN. DON OWNS IT.
Now the kids will love it, and if she is along, so will the missus.
If you like old cars/trucks and a true MINING TOWN...a whole TOWN complete with dentist office, old dental equipment/tools, old barber shop,saloon, shoe shop, and lots more... etc.etc.
A history of the ammount of tunnels, LIKE 3,000 miles of tunnels beneath the town of JEROME. Someone donated A huge polished slab of petrified wood, about 4 inches thick and like 2 to 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
That alone would get me, if I had never before been there, it too is beautiful, like red, black, yellow, brown and some color of like purple mixed in...Oh Did I mention the ammount of old VINTAGE vehicles, including trucks, diesel, etc. like 300 or more old cars and trucks...
And 85 percent or more of his collection works... This sounds like a commercial to me now...COME SEE THE GOLD KING MINE...LOL.
Did I sell you on it yet???I think it is 3 bucks per person...it may have gone up like everything else. It may not be fishing but man it is something the kids will love. Jasper if he is still kicking is a resident mule/ donkey that lives at the gold king mine. you can feed him carrots.
They have an 1800's style ,working sawmill.
The whole town is out of the 1800's.
Go early to avoid any crowds.
Jerome is an old mining town built around the same era as TOMBSTONE.
The town sits, like I said at about 5,000 to 5,500 feet.
I saw a meteor shower there, what like JUNE 30...1999...
Oh MY--- It was so awesome words can not even begin to describe it...I was Above the GOLD KING mine on an old logging road, I was watching 2 to 3 meteorites comming into the atmosphere all at the same time. during the peak of it...red, green, etc. streaking across the sky...TOTALLY AWESOME!!!
Sorry I did not answer your question that well, Hey when you leave JEROME, go down to the SEDONA VALLEY. SEDONA IS AWESOME too...BEAUTIFUL/GLORIOUS...And hey maybe you can fish in OAK CREEK/ OAK CREEK CANYON.
I missed the great northwest sooo much when I was in AZ. until I went to JEROME,AZ. that is where I found A two and 1/2 pound, SOLID PIECE OF MALACHITE with ALLUVIAL fan pattern that just glowed a beautiful IRRIDESCENT GREEN SHEEN. above the gold king mine.
Hey sorry,... your question made me miss my 5 year, "home", of ARIZONA.
Beautiful sunsets, beautiful deserts, plants, creatures...all except the AFRICANIZED BEE'S...look out for them.
Other than that, I miss Arizona. ALOT!
Well even if ya don't go, Hope you liked the story,"OF MY ARIZONA VACATION.
Jerome and Sedona, the GOLD KING MINE, Made me appreciate ARIZONA...Phoenix was pretty rough after Growing up in the great PACIFIC N.W.
I do not remember the mo. of the meteor shower, but it was one of the big ones we get annualy.
have a wonderful time and a great vacation.
DJH

Answer 2

Sadly Arizona is not one of the great fishing states, but there are several nice lakes around Flagstaff if you are just interested in a relaxing time rather than actually catching fish. :)

As some other posts have mentioned, Lake Mary to the south of town is popular. It is a long narrow lake (a dammed valley) running along side Lake Mary road to the southeast of town (turn off at Exit 339 just as you come into Flag on I-17). It is actually divided into two lakes (Upper and Lower). The upper one is a bit better (these lakes are part of the city water supply, by the way).

A little bit further down the road is Mormon Lake (the largest NATURAL lake in Arizona - plenty of larger man-made ones, of course). It is a big round lake in a pleasant little valley. However, it has been near dry with the drought and so is surrounded by mud and weeds. The Mormon Lake Lodge however is a classic cowboy steakhouse and worth visiting (there are also a few cabins to rent in the area).

My favorite around Flag is Ashurst Lake which is located in the pine trees on top of a short plateau (Anderson Mesa) overlooking Mormon Lake. Turn off on Ashurst Lake road just before you get to Mormon Lake. It is a very pretty lake and usually not as crowded as the others.

All of these lakes are stocked, but none of these lakes has great fishing (Ashurst is probably the best) and you would be better off with a boat at all of them, but you can fish off the shore at any of them and have a fun time. There is fishing in Oak Creek (by Sedona, south of Flagstaff). The fishing is probably worse than the Flag lakes (except for the small over-stocked ponds that you have to pay at - as others have mentioned), but it is a pretty place.

There are a number of outdoor shops in the old historic downtown area (such as Babbit's Outdoor Outfitters) where you can get gear and tips on where the fish are biting best.

Answer 3

If you go through Oak Creek Canyon there are pay to fish places where you are almost guaranteed to catch rainbow trout. We took the kids there a few years back and they loved it. We had trout for dinner that evening. There's also Lake Mary which is just a few miles south of Flag. It's very scenic with the pine trees all around. But no pay per fish area there that I know of. Good Luck. ENJOY!!!

Answer 4

Morman Lake, Lake Mary

Answer 5

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